Overview
- After viewing F‑150 production at Ford’s Rouge complex, the president told the Detroit Economic Club that tariffs are boosting the auto sector, calling tariffs his “favorite word.”
- He claimed prices are falling and said he will unveil an affordability plan at Davos, even as the latest Consumer Price Index showed a 2.7% year‑over‑year rise in December.
- He urged interest‑rate cuts and attacked Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as the Justice Department’s subpoena of Powell fuels concerns about political pressure on the Fed.
- Detroit police detained protesters outside the MotorCity Casino venue following warnings to stay outside the security perimeter, with demonstrations organized by local activists.
- The trip underscored policy crosscurrents as U.S. manufacturing shed about 8,000 jobs in December and Ford scrapped an electric F‑150 after federal rollbacks of EV targets and incentives.